Environment
Exploring Future Energy Scenarios with the Freight/Fuel Transportation Optimization Tool
What’s the best way for raw fuel material to get to a refinery? Road, rail, water, pipeline? What emissions are associated with moving raw material and fuel? Environmental biologist Kristin Lewis recently talked about how a Volpe-developed tool can help optimize fuel logistics strategies.
National Transportation Noise Map Released
To better understand transportation sound levels, a Volpe Center team developed a simplified noise modeling tool for the Bureau of Transportation Statistics that makes it easy to track trends in noise levels over time. The tool was released on March 21.What Transportation Planners Can Learn About Ridesharing from College Campuses
New ridesharing technologies and transportation demand management strategies mean that how people travel to and from their college campuses may be changing. A recent report identifies innovative practices that universities have used to reduce auto traffic and parking, and discusses how those...Protecting Endangered Bats, Streamlining Highway Projects
As pollinators and insect consumers, bats generate $3 billion each year in economic value. However, the population of a key species has declined by nearly half since 2005—due, in large part, to human disturbance. A new federal strategy will help facilitate conservation of these bats while...Publication Highlights 15 Years of Successful Environmental Stewardship Practices
Successes in Stewardship marks 15 years of documenting successful practices in protecting water quality, wetlands, wildlife, historical sites, cultural areas, and parks while accelerating the completion of transportation projects nationwide. Read the August 2016 anniversary issue to learn about...
DOTWASH Tackles Invasive Species Catching a Ride on Construction Vehicles
Invasive species and noxious weeds can destroy entire ecosystems, stemming from something as seemingly innocuous as a seed latching to the bottom of a dump truck. Through the SBIR Program, S-K Environmental developed a novel solution for construction sites that has a 97 percent success rate...
From Farm to Flight: Evaluating Canola-Based Jet Fuels
A Volpe-developed tool is helping researchers perform full chain life-cycle assessments of alternative fuels, including canola-based jet fuels, and examine a range of energy scenarios across the transportation network.Volpe Takes First in Green Commute Challenge
For the fourth year in a row, Volpe has earned top awards for our staff’s participation in Green Streets Initiative’s Walk/Ride Day Corporate Challenge.
First-Ever Aviation Emissions Standard Bolstered by Volpe Assessment
The international aviation community is on the cusp of certifying a first-ever carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions standard for commercial aircraft.